Automatic gasoline vending machine



y .1. M. ALEXANDER AUTOMATIC GASOIJNE VENDING MACHTNE Filed May 15, I931 wily/111111111114 gnueflkw John MAlexander (for my Patented July 12, 1932 JOHN M. ALEXANDER, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA AUTOMATIC GASOLINE VENDING MACHINE Application filed May 15 My invention relates to automatic gasoline vending machines of the coin operated kind for automatically delivering predetermined quantities of gasoline. I

The primary object of the invention is the provision of means for restoring the indicator to its zero position'after the gasoline has been delivered. i

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for restoring the indicator to zero position if the purchaser accepts less than the predetermined quantity of gasoline.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a reversing motor and gearing for reversing the movement of the indicator after he gasoline has been delivered.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a plurality of electrical. circuits connected with a source of electrical power and so arranged. as to drive the pump motor and the reversing motor in succession so that the entire mechanism will operate automatically after the first impulse has been given.

Having in'view these objects and others which will be pointed out in the following description, I will now refer to the drawing, in which The figure is a view partly in plan and partly in section of the reversing mechanism,

the driving mechanism and electrical circuits being shown in conventional form.

In the drawing the numeral 10 designates the motor for driving the pump which delivers the gasoline. The flow of the gasoline in 85 the pump actuates an indicator 11 which travels over a stationary dial 12 for indicating the number of gallons of gasoline flowing through the pump. 1 The construction thus far described is common to many types of gasoline pumps and it is so well known to all those skilled in the art to which it pertains that further description is believed to be unnecessary.

. I shall now describe the mechanism for restoring the indicator 11 to its zero position. This indicator is secured to a disc 13 having gear teeth on its periphery. The flow of the gasoline through the pump thus moves both the indicator and the disc 13 about their central axis. Adjacent the disc 13 is a housing 1931. Serial No. 537,670.

14 supporting a slidable gear mechanism. The gear box 15 is mounted on antifriction devices 16 for sliding movement within the housing '14: and toward or away from the periphery of the disc 13. Journalled in the gear box 15 is a shaft 17 which is provided with a gear 18 and a pinion 19. The pinion 19 is adapted to mesh with the toothed periphery of the disc 13 and it is obvious that slidable movements of the gear box 15 will cause the pinion 19 to engage the toothed periphery of the disc 13 or to disengage therefrom. The gear 18 is' actuated by a worm 20 on the shaft 21, the gear 18 and the worm 20 being always in mesh. The shaft 21 is journalled in the gear box 15 so that any movement of the gear box 15 will carry- -with it the shaft 21, the worm 20 and the shaft 17 with its gear 18 and pinion 19.

Surrounding the outer end portion of the shaft 21 is a sleeve 22 which is connected rigidly with the wall of the gear box 15. The shaft 21 carries a pulley 23 with a fly wheel 24. Secured to the sleeve 22 is a disc 25 having arms 26 pivotally connected thereto, the arms 26 carrying weights 27 at their outer extremities. The disc guide 28 has slots for receiving the pins 29 on the arms 26, the disc guide being also secured to the sleeve 22. The weights 27 are normally held in their inoperative positions by means of coil springs 30. During the rotation of the parts, however, the weights 27 will be acted upon by centrifugal force to carry them outwardly against the tension of the springs 30 and to thus cause movement of the'sleeve 22 in the direction of the disc 13. This movement will cause the gear box 15 to slide to bring the pinion 19 into mesh with the teeth on the periphery of the disc,13. It will also be obvious that when the rotation of the pulley23 stops, the springs 30 will tend to draw the weights 27 toward each other and to slide the gear box 15 so as to bring the pinion 19 into a position out of mesh with the peripheral teeth of the disc 13. The pulley 23 is driven through a belt 31 from a pulley 32 onthe reversing motor 33.

The pump motor 10 and the reversing motor 33 are both. electrically driven. In order to make the operation entirely automatic it is I designate as a solenoid circuit.

necessary that a special hookup be provided so as to utilize a single source of electrical energy. This source of electrical energy may be a 110 volt lighting circuit or a battery or any other suitable source of electrical energy. This source is shown conventionally at 34. The conductor leads directly from the source of energy to the pump motor 10. The circuit through the pump motor 10 is completed through the conductor 36 which is pro-' vided with a single switch 37. The switch 37 is shown in its open position but the fiow of the mercury across the terminals when the switch assumes a more or less horizontal position will close the circuit to establish a fiow of electrical current through the motor 10. Adjacent the switch 37 is a bell lever 38 having an upper portion which acts upon the switch 37 to bring the switch into horizontal position- The coin box, shown conventionally at 39, is provided with a plunger which may be pushed into contact with the lower arm ofthe bell lever 38 to close the switch 37. The plunger 40 is so arranged that it can not be actuated until acoin of the proper denom ination has been inserted in the coin box 39 but the mechanism for preventing the actuation of the plunger 40 is not shown in my drawing since it is no part of the present invention. It is obvious, however, that the action of the pump motor 10 may be started by pushing the plunger 40 and that this will be followed automatically by the flow of the gasoline through the pump and by the movement of the indicator 11 and the disc 13.

All automatic gasoline vending machines depend on the delivery of a predetermined with the conductor 36. The second conductor 43 in the solenoid is connected with the conductor 35 from the source of electrical energy. The conductor 43 is provided with two independent switches 44 and 45. The

' switch 44 lies in the path of the indicator 11 and it is made adjustable so that it may be set opposite any predetermined numeral indicating gallons of gasoline such as 12 in my drawing. The indicator 11 and the switch 44 are so designed'that the indicator will open the switch when it reaches the switch. The switch 44 is normally kept in closed position and it is only the actuation of the indicator 11 which will break the circuit 5 through that switch. Current flowing through the switch will energize the solenoid 41 which acts upon the lower arm of the bell lever 38 as an armature. It should be recalled that the normal and inoperative position of the bell lever 38 is that shown in my drawing and that its position may be altered only by pushing the plunger 40. The plunger 40, however, resumes its inoperative position when pressure is removed but at this time the current is flowing through the two circuits so that the bell lever is held in its op erative position by the attraction of the sole noid 41. It will be readily apparent that when the indicator 11 opens the switch 44 and breaks the circuit through the solenoid, the bell lever 38 will be released to thus allow the mercury switch 37 to open which will instantly stop the action of the pump motor 10. It sometimes happens that the purchaser will drop in a coin and then find that his tank becomes filled with less than the amount of gasoline called for by hiscoin. To prevent a waste of gasoline I have designed the switch 45 to open the solenoid circuit when the nozzle is placed on its hook 46 which has its pivot at 47. The weight of the nozzle tends to lift the inner end of the hook lever against the action of the spring 48 and to thus maintain the switch 45 in open position. When the nozzle is removed from the hook 46 the switch 45 will be closed under the action of the spring 48 and it will remain closed as long as the nozzle is off the hook 46. When the purchaser of the gasoline has filled his tank he merely places the nozzle on the hook 46 which thus breaks the solenoid circuit and stops the action of the pump motor 10 by means of the mechanism which has been described.

The mechanism as above described will leave the indicator 11 in its position against the switch 44 and with both the pump motor circuit and the solenoid circuit open, the switch 44 being also open. The indicator 11 must, of course, be moved to its zero position. This might be done by hand but it is obvious that this necessity would be extremely objectionable in an automatic mechanism of this kind. It .is desired to make this mechanism not only fully automatic but also fool-proof. For this reason I have provided the reversing motor 33 with the gearing for automatically restoring the indicator to zero position and for leaving all of the circuits open and in inoperative position. The reversing motor circuit comprises the conductors 49 and 50. The conductor 50 is provided with two switches 51 and 52. In the position of the parts as shown in my drawing the switch 51 is open while the switch 52 is closed,.,the open switch 51 preventing the flow of electrical current through the motor 33. The bell lever 38 has a projection 53 which is normally in contact with the switch 52 under the weight of the mercury in the switch 37 The actuation of the plunger pushes the projection 53 away from the switch 52 so that the reversing motor circuit is then open at the switch 52. The pumping action of the motor 10 begins immediately after the switch 52 has been opened, this action taking place through the closing of the switch 37. The flow of the gasoline through the pump causes the indicator 11 to move away from the switch 51 and to thus permit the switch 51 to close. At this stage of the operation the switch 51 is closed while the switch 52 is open. Movement then continues until the indicator 11 opens the switch 44 to release the solenoid 41 which permits the bell lever to resume its inoperative position under the weight of the mercury in the switch 37. This movement of the bell lever 38 closes the switch 52. The switches 51 and 52 will then be both closed and the current will flow through the reversing motor 33 to restore the indicator 11 to zero position. In its movement the indicator 11 will contact with the switch 51 to open the reversing motor circuit thus stopping the action of the reversing motor 33. All circuits will then be open. The nozzle at this time will rest on the hook 46 so that both switches in the solenoid circuit will then be open.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have designed an automatic gasoline dispensing machine which is entirely automatic throughout and which is fool-proof in every respect. It is essential also that the machines be so constructed that it may not be tampered. with to discharge more gasoline than is paid for. In the prior devices the indicator 11 is moved back to its zero position by hand but in the present construction it is not only unnecessary to manipulate the indicator by hand but it is also important that no access be given to the indicator. Otherwise the purchaser could drop in a coin and then. stop the indicator before it reaches the switch 44. By reversing the indicator and then releasing it before it reaches the switch 51, the pumping operation would not be stopped and a continued flow of gasoline could be obtained by repeating the performance as often as would be necessary to fill the gasoline tank. By providing the device with a window through which the indicator 11 can be clearly seen, the purchaser has no direct access to the indicator so that it becomes impossible for him to'tamper with the mechanism.

The drawing shows a mechanism for use with a coin of one denomination only. It is obvious, however, that it is within the province of a skilled mechanic to duplicate certain parts of the structure so that the same pump may be operated by coins of two or more denominations. This would involve only a duplication of certain portions of the electrical circuits, all other parts of the device remaining the same. i It will also be ob vious that the device which I have described may be so designed as to automatically dispense other liquids thangasoline. While the device was designed initially and primarily for automatically dispensing gasoline,'I wish it; to be understood that I reserve to. myself all rights to the device regardless of the use to-whichit-is put i Having thus described my-invention-iin such full, clear, and exact terms that ,its .con; struction and operation will be-readily understood by others skilled in the art to which it pertains, what I'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesisz' -Ji 1. Anautomatic gasoline vending device having anindicatorfor indicating thequantity of gasoline: delivered nd having means stoppingthe movement of-the said indicator when. a predetermined quantity; ofi-gasoline has been delivered, and mechanism 1' for. antomatic'ally restoring said indicator to zero position immediately after. the stoppage :of the flow of gasoline through -saidvending device- 2. An automatic. gasoline vending device having-an indicator for indicating. the 'quan: tity of gasoline delivered andiha'vingmeans for stopping the flow of gasoline and for .stopping the'movement ofthe said indicator when a predetermined quantity of gasoline has been delivered, and mechanism for automatically restoring said indicator to zero position immediately after the stoppage of the flow of gasoline through said vending device, said mechanism including a gear fixed to said indicator to rotate therewith, a sliding gear box having a gear adapted to intermesh with said first named gear, means for driving said second named gear, and means for automatically sliding said gear box into gear engaging position.

3. An automatic gasoline vending device having an indicator for indicating the quantity of gasoline delivered and having means for stopping the flow of gasoline and for stopping the movement of the said indicator when a predetermined quantity of gasoline has been delivered, and mechanism for automatically restoring said indicator to zero position immediately after the stoppage of the flow of gasoline through said vending device, said mechanism including an electrically driven motor for driving said indicator in the reverse direction and a switch at the zero position and in the path of said indicator for stopping said motor.

4. An automatic gasoline vending device having an indicator for indicating the quantity of gasoline delivered and having means for stopping the flow of gasoline and for stopping the movement of the said indicator when a predetermined quantity of gasoline for stoppingthe flow of .gasolineg and for .35

has been delivered, and mechanism for automatically restoring said indicator to zero position immediately after the stoppage of the flow of gasoline through said vending device, said mechanism including an electricall driven motor for'driving said indicator in t e reverse direction and a switch at the zero position and in the path of said indicator for stopping said motor, and a switch adapted to be closedautomatically at the beginning of the flow of thegasoline and adapted to be opened automatically when the flow of gasoline stops. 5.-'An automatic gasoline vendingdevice having a motor for driving the gasoline through a discharge conduit, an indicator for indicating the quantity of gasoline discharged, adjustable automatically operable means for stopping the action of said motor when a predetermined quantity of gasoline has been discharged, said means including an electrical circuitthrough said motor, and manually operable means for closing said circuit, a second motor for moving said indicator in the reverse direction, an electrical circuit through said's'econ'd motor, and means for automatically opening the first of said circuits when apredetermined quantity of gasoline has been discharged and for simultaneously closing the second of said circuits. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

- Y JOHN M. ALEXANDER. 

